Portable Audio Equipment

12.40.020 Public disturbance noise from portable or motor vehicle audio equipment.

12.40.010 – Findings.

(A) The board of county commissioners finds:

(1) That excessive noise is a form of pollution which has direct and harmful effects upon the health and welfare of persons exposed to such sound, lowers the value of impacted properties and generally adversely affects the livability, peace and comfort of the impacted neighborhoods and commercial districts;

(2) That due primarily to the sound characteristics and manner of use, excessive noise from portable and motor vehicle audio equipment, such as sound amplifiers or similar devices, tape players, radios and compact disc players, is a particularly disruptive form of noise pollution involving such harmful effects and impacts upon persons, property, neighborhoods and, when occurring in or near vehicular traffic, such noise presents a danger to traffic safety;

(3) That noise from such audio equipment which can be clearly heard seventy-five feet or more from the source of the sound is in excess of the maximum permissible sound levels allowed to be generated or received in either residential or commercial areas of the county, involves excessive noise impacts, creates noise pollution within such areas and, when occurring in or near vehicular traffic, presents a danger to traffic safety;

(4) That technology has allowed the proliferation of commercially accessible types of audio equipment, both portable and installed in motor vehicles, which can be clearly heard seventy-five feet or more from the source of sound.

(B) Therefore, the board of county commissioners finds and concludes that excessive noise being generated from such equipment is a public nuisance and constitutes public disturbance noise.

(Ord. 1207 (part), 1990)

(Ord. No. 3744, § 1, 3-3-2009)

12.40.020 – Public disturbance noise from portable or motor vehicle audio equipment.

(A) While in park areas, residential or commercial zones in the urbanized Las Vegas Valley, defined as the area enclosed by Pebble Road or its alignment on the south, Hualapai Drive or its alignment on the west, Elkhorn Road or its alignment on the north and the boundary of the Lake Mead Recreation Area on the east, or outside the defined urban area of the Las Vegas Valley, in any area or any area where residences, schools, parks, human service facilities or commercial establishments are in obvious proximity to the source of the sound, it is unlawful for any person to negligently cause, make or allow to be made from audio equipment under such person’s control or ownership the following:

(1) Sound from a motor vehicle audio system, sound amplifier or similar device, such as a radio, tape player or compact disc player, which is operated at such a volume that it could be clearly heard by a person of normal hearing at a distance of seventy-five feet or more from the vehicle itself; or

(2) Sound from portable audio equipment, such as a sound amplifier or similar device, radio, tape player or compact disc player, which is operated at such a volume that it could be clearly heard by a person of normal hearing at a distance of seventy-five feet or more from the source of the sound.

(B) This section shall not apply to persons operating portable audio equipment upon their own premises, such as an owner or tenant, or to persons operating such equipment pursuant to any permit issued under the authority of Clark County Code Chapters 6.65, 6.84, 16.06 and 19.04.

(C) The ordinance set out in this chapter is not applicable in any district zoned M-1, M-2 or M-3, or outside the urbanized Las Vegas Valley, as defined in this chapter, in any district zoned O-S, R-U, R-A and R-E which is not located in any area where residences, schools, parks, human service facilities or commercial establishments are in obvious proximity to the source of the sound.

(D) The content of the sound will not be considered in determining a violation of this section.

(Ord. 1207 (part), 1990)

(Ord. No. 3744, § 1, 3-3-2009)

12.40.030 – Penalty for violation.

Any person violating any provision of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof is punishable by a fine not to exceed fifty dollars for the first offense, one hundred dollars for the second offense, and two hundred fifty dollars for the third and all subsequent offenses.

(Ord. 1207 (part), 1990)